The Pentagon and White House pushed back Friday against CNN’s coverage of the Iran war, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying he welcomed the prospect of David Ellison taking over the network.
Hegseth used part of a Pentagon news conference on US military operations against Tehran to criticize media coverage, singling out CNN and calling for what he described as a more patriotic press.
“Patently ridiculous,” Hegseth told reporters, before adding: “The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”
David Ellison heads Paramount Skydance, which is set to complete a landmark takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s current owner, after reportedly beating Netflix in a bidding war.
Earlier this month, Ellison said he would protect CNN’s editorial independence.
His father, Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, who helped finance the deal, is also a longtime ally and financial backer of President Donald Trump.
The White House also rejected CNN’s reporting on the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil trade.
“This story is 100% FAKE NEWS,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a post on X.
“The Pentagon has been planning for Iran’s desperate and reckless closure of the Strait of Hormuz for DECADES, and it has been part of the Trump Administration’s planning well before Operation Epic Fury was ever launched,” she said.
CNN chief Mark Thompson responded by saying the network’s “only interest is in telling the truth to our audiences in the US and around the world and no amount of political threats or insults is going to change that.”
Trump has often criticized CNN and its reporters, including anchor Kaitlan Collins, with whom he has had several tense exchanges.